Orange Soccer Cleats

Getting to know my 8 year old son from Ethiopia, Yakobe, was a bit slow at first.  The language barrier coupled with Ethiopian cultural rules (children not looking at adults out of respect) made it tough.  After several months though, I noticed some distinctive character traits.  Yakobe is very smart.  Yakobe has a desire to please others.  Yakobe is kind.  AND, Yakobe likes bright, bold, different things.  Word soon got out that Yakobe wanted “big hair”.

Yakobe has a gift in playing soccer.  Last summer in our local sports store, he spotted some bright orange soccer cleats.  His eyes lit up.  We told him he had soccer cleats that fit.  We explained the difference between a need and a want.  He accepted “No” for an answer.  Every once in awhile though, usually before bed, Yakobe would ask politely about the orange cleats.  Any time there was a trip to the sports store, he would check to see if they were still there.  I kinda struggled with the orange cleats.  I mean his soccer team is maroon and gold.  They don’t match!  And, does Yakobe just want attention drawn to himself?  I didn’t want to encourage that.

In January, Yakobe asked Jesus to be Lord of his life.  Mark and I wanted him to remember what an important decision this was.  We decided to get him the orange soccer cleats.  Yakobe never had a pair of new cleats before.  In Ethiopia, many children don’t even have shoes.  Yakobe took great care even with the box they came in.   I can imagine him thinking, “No one has ever worn these before except me.”

Shortly after this, I studied the parable of the prodigal son.  The father welcomed his lost son by running to him and gave him three things:  new clothes - representing family honor, a ring - symbolizing family authority AND a pair of new shoes - the symbol of family membership.

I’m so glad we got Yakobe bright orange soccer cleats.  Yakobe was welcomed into God’s family that day.  I pray he is noticed - for his family identity with Christ.  I pray he is bold and loud and doesn’t match the world.  I pray he treasures God’s gift of family membership as much as he treasures the shoes.  I pray Yakobe and all my children help others receive shoes of membership in God’s awesome family.

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news” Isaiah 52:7

Easy Street

I think I began my journey into motherhood with somewhat distorted expectations.  Part of it was from being an only child.  Really, my life was pretty easy in many aspects.  No rules, no accountability, not much authority in my life.  Throw clothes on the floor and mom picks them up.  Ask for whatever I want and get it almost immediately - cost not even a factor most times.

But, lessons not learned when young, do have to be learned at some point.  Life isn’t easy.  And, the most rewarding moments come after trials and suffering.  Paul says in Romans 5:3-5, “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

Each day I am pulled in many directions.  I have 7 beautiful lives I am responsible for.  For their care, their training, and their education.  I so often feel I am falling short.  I feel like I can never give each one what they need.  And then God reminds me that I won’t ever give them all they need, but He will.

It is so interesting.  There really is a street called “Easy Street” in Hawaii.  The first sign is an actual photo of it from a real estate in Hawaii.  I heard a preacher on the radio speak about it.  He went to see it when he was on a trip to Hawaii.  As he drove down the street in the residential area, he saw another sign….”Dead End”.

So, I encourage myself and I encourage you, Fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7

Blur

Abigail rushed in, “Mom!  Can you come down?”  I was putting Nathan in his crib for his afternoon nap.  As I turned the corner from the stairs, she asked, ”Can you come out for a minute?  I have to show you something!”  I said, “Sure.”  I put on a pair of her boots and grabbed my coat.  She took me to the backyard and said, “Watch!”  She laid on her back as the snow gently landed all over her bright pink coat.  “Look, Mom!  They’re perfect!  They’re beautiful!”  It is true.  The snowflakes were perfect, beautiful.  Abbie asked me to take a photo of some of them.  The first photo above is all we could get….blur.

It made me think of how God is so awesome, so perfect, so beautiful.  His creation, the snowflake being one of them, is intricate, detailed, gorgeous.  His plans are perfect too.  He is sovereign.

We can try with all our might to capture that perfection, but in my mind, even great cameras don’t do justice to the snowflakes in their soft, white, delicate intricacy.

We can also try with all our might to figure out the mind of God.  We ponder why things happen or why things don’t happen.  We can think until it hurts and we can come up with cleverly invented explanations.  A great Bible teacher of mine gently told me that every time we try to explain away or justify what God does and how He chooses to do it, we are diminishing in our mind the sovereignty of God. 

I need to rest in the fact that He made the snowflake and I can’t even take a picture of it.  He is God.  He is always good, always right, always faithful, always trustworthy, always just.  He is.

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!  But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

1 Corinthians 13:12-13 (The Message)

God is SO Good! - Happy Birthday Yakobe!

Yesterday was a great day!  When I came down from my shower, Sam said, “Mom, Yakobe has something he wants to tell you.”  I turn to Yakobe who was searching for words.  Sam then whispered in Yakobe’s ear the words again.  Yakobe said, “I accepted Jesus into my heart”.  How awesome is that?!!  Then, Yakobe went down and told Mark.  While Mark finished up his Sunday School lesson, the kids played and sang God is So Good!  I thought it was fitting for the occasion and if you click on the link below, it will take you to view it on YouTube.   We had a born again birthday celebration last night with ice cream sundaes!

God is SO Good

Strawberries - Visual Lesson

I learn best visually. God knows this and teaches me through pictures. I have been praying a lot about unity. I have been picturing our family as a crew team in a big long shell, rowing together through rapids - and having fun! This past week I kept thinking about little white flowers on the sides of the river…and strawberries. I researched characteristics of strawberries and discovered some really amazing things spiritually.

The first thing that struck me in thinking on strawberries is that you need to get on your knees to pick them.  Humility.  And -  the tiny beautiful white flowers that bloom on the plant.  Purity.  They are also heart-shaped and red.  Love.

Strawberries need lots of sun in order to grow.  We need the Son, Jesus.  They only grow well in moist ground.  We need spiritual water - the truth, the Word.  They are full of Vitamin C and are known to prevent cancer.

Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.  The seeds are visible and can rub off easily.  We, bearing fruit for Christ should have visible seeds on the outside that rub off on people.

Strawberry plants propagate best by their roots.  They send out “runners” that then become “daughter plants”.  They spread like a ground cover.  This reminded me of children.  It could be our own children, but I think it relates also to the family of believers and people more mature in their faith strengthening ones younger in the faith.  We need to encourage, teach, send out runners so that “daughter plants” can cover more ground for the Kingdom.  In order to do this we need to be close to an individual, making sure they are abiding in the vine which is Christ Jesus.  Strengthening believers is not just a seed thrown and forgotten.  It’s like a family in unity, rooted in Christ, seeds visible and useful for evangelism.

So neither he who plants no he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow.  1 Corinthians 3:7

New Year

Christmas Eve at Church

Christmas was amazing.  As I work on a book telling our adoption story, mostly for Yakobe right now, I am constantly reminded of God’s hand in it all.  Putting up the tree was emotional as I remembered putting it up last year listening to the song, “All I Want for Christmas” by Steven Curtis Chapman.  If you don’t know it, it is all about an older orphan boy who longs for a family for Christmas.  I am blessed to be able to sled with my kids, help them make snow men (Sam and Abbie) and snow animals (Katie, Tom, and Emily) and snow king chairs (Yakobe).  It was good to have Mark home.  As we embark on a new year, I pray that our family will continue to work on unity, especially among siblings, but also as Mark and I lead, that we would be one in purpose.  I also pray we will walk in the ancient paths.  These paths are ones that don’t seem right to man, they are not paths that we will be directed to walk by humans.  They are narrow paths where God walks alongside us.  May we all strive this year to walk where God walks, to fear Him, to obey his precepts, and to bring Him glory.

Jeremiah 6:16  This is what the Lord says, “Stand at the crossroads and look, ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for your souls.”

Jeremiah 8:15  (paraphrase)  Don’t forget the Lord - don’t burn incense to worthless idols - they will make you stumble off the ancient path onto by paths and muddy trails.

Isaiah 57:14  And it will be said, “Build up, build up - prepare the way.  Remove every obstacle out of the way of my people.”

Isaiah 62:10  Go through, go through the gates.  clear the way for the people; build up, build up the highway.  Remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples.

Twice Solomon wrote:  There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.  Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

Amen

Brothers

My older boys:  Sam who’s 11 and Yakobe who’s 8, really hate photos and videos.  They are obedient and cooperative with me but I notice I don’t get as many of them.  Yakobe and Sam are such good friends.  When Mark asked the kids one day at dinner devotions what is one thing they wouldn’t want to lose, Sam pointed next to him and said, “Him”.  Here’s a photo from yesterday of them playing basketball.  God is so good to both of them to bring them together from different continents and make them brothers.  It’s kinda like a glimpse of heaven where believers will be gathered from all nations to be together as brothers and sisters in Christ.  I wonder what great sisters or brothers I have out there somewhere.

Here’s a link to see them play - for some reason you have to cut and paste - sorry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqDz4yOpU94

Sam and Yakobe Playing Basketball

Homeschooling Fun

Yesterday we had fun learning about and dressing up like beavers…well almost everyone.  Here are some photos.  We had to include the back of the beaver so you could see our rubber mouse-pad tail!  Earmufs are to represent ear flaps that the beaver uses to close it’s ears and protect them from water - they have a similar thing for their nose.  Goggles represent the transparent film that protects their eyes underwater.  Fur coat is for their fur coat.  Gloves represent their agile hands used to hold twigs and pack mud onto their dams.  Webbed feet are for swimming.  They also have cool orange teeth - color caused by extra iron in them for strength.  They can cut down a 5 inch diameter tree in 3 minutes and have been known to cut down trees with diameters as large as 5 feet across!

Yakobe the Beaver

Tom the Beaver

Katie the Beaver

Emily the Beaver

Showing off a Beaver Tail!

Knitting for the Homeless

We have been blessed to be able to join a Bright Lights / Bright Knights group in our area where the girls and boys study separately how to grow in their walk with Christ.  We decided on a project of knitting or sewing scarves for the homeless.  We spent our Thursday morning knitting while listening to our historical fiction cassettes and CD’s.  We finished Mandie and the Secret Tunnel and then listened to A Hundred Dresses.  Here are the oldest 4 knitting.

Knitting for the Homeless

Nature Center

Today we went to the Nature Center and Katie suggested a photo of all the kids on a bench in the sun.  Here they are!

Nature Center